Congress slams Kejriwal govt for delaying MCD by-elections

Delhi Congress leader Ajay Maken on Friday asked Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to hold elections to 13 vacant seats in the three municipal corporations without any further delay.

In a letter written to Kejriwal, Maken said in the absence of elected councillors, these wards remain neglected, and the people are suffering.

 “Delhi State Election Commission in a letter on August 25, accompanied by an action plan, has already urged your government to immediately conduct by-elections in the respective areas and as per the proposal, the elections were to be concluded in the month of April, 2015, itself.

However, no action has been taken by the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi,” Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee President Maken said in the letter.
 The 13 vacant seats include four in the north corporation, seven in the south corporation and two in the east corporation.

Maken also drew the government’s attention to section 12 of the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act, 1957, which mandates that any such vacancy to the office of a municipal councillor shall be filled at the earliest.

“But the unnecessary delay in the said elections and the absence of area councillors is only adding to the sufferings of the general public already burdened by the poor civic conditions due to the ego battles and crossfire between the municipal bodies and the Delhi government,” he said.

 Addressing a press conference at the DPCC office at Rajiv Bhawan on Thursday, Maken alleged the Aam Aadmi Party was shying away from holding bye-elections to the MCD seats fearing defeat, as the government has not been able to fulfill the tall promises made to the people before the Delhi Assembly elections. “They may not be able to repeat the Assembly election results, he said.

He said the Congress will hold week-long candlelight march and ‘thali-peet’ demonstrations in all the 13 MCD wards seeking immediate conduct of the bye-elections and also to protest against price rise.

 “The AAP government is not doing anything other than grabbing headlines, as it has not so far constituted the Lokpal either, though the Kejriwal government had resigned after 49 days in power the first time on the issue of the constitution of Lokpal.”